Orcutt Junior High

Summary:

Orcutt Junior High is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in Santa Maria, California, with 468 students. The school faces several challenges, including declining statewide rankings, achievement gaps among student subgroups, high chronic absenteeism, and lower test scores compared to the district and state averages.

Orcutt Junior High's statewide ranking has dropped from 646 out of 2,480 California middle schools in 2017-2018 to 945 out of 2,777 in 2023-2024, and its rating has decreased from 4 stars to 3 stars during this time. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with male and Hispanic students performing relatively well, ranking in the top 30-35% of California middle schools, while white and multi-racial students perform significantly worse, ranking in the bottom 50% and bottom 20% respectively. English Language Learners and students with disabilities also struggle, ranking in the bottom 50% of schools. Additionally, Orcutt Junior High has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.2% in 2017-2018 to 30.7% in 2021-2022.

Compared to nearby schools, Lakeview Junior High, which is also part of the Orcutt Union Elementary School District, has similar or slightly lower test scores and a lower statewide ranking. Orcutt Junior High also has a relatively high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 33.76% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, which may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance compared to the district and state.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 608 Pinal St.
       Santa Maria, CA  93455-5302


(805) 938-8700

District: Orcutt Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
945th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,076 Help


Students who attend Orcutt Junior High usually attend:

High:    Ernest Righetti High

Feeder schools for Orcutt Junior High:

Elementary:    Patterson Road Elementary
    Pine Grove Elementary
    Ralph Dunlap Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  22.2 Help
Number of students:  480

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.5%
White:
36.0%
Two or more races:
11.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  41.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Orcutt Junior High ranks better than 66% of middle schools in California. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.48. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.5%), White (36%), two or more races (11.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 41.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Orcutt Junior High is 22.2. (See more...)
Help
Compare Orcutt Junior High employs 21.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Orcutt Junior High is $7,076.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Orcutt Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Orcutt Junior High 945th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Orcutt Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Orcutt Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Orcutt Union Elementary 584th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Orcutt Junior High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 70.95 407th 1769 77.0%
2005 82.86 240th 1777 86.5%
2006 87.25 166th 1804 90.8%
2007 82.08 265th 1999 86.7%
2008 83.88 216th 2005 89.2%
2009 78.04 326th 2063 84.2%
2010 77.71 358th 2179 83.6%
2011 75.37 407th 2236 81.8%
2012 72.07 519th 2259 77.0%
2013 74.17 479th 2379 79.9%
2015 81.16 404th 2477 83.7%
2016 83.89 355th 2497 85.8%
2017 70.02 672nd 2508 73.2%
2018 69.94 646th 2480 74.0%
2019 65.69 774th 2715 71.5%
2022 64.74 780th 2740 71.5%
2023 58.46 946th 2802 66.2%
2024 57.48 945th 2777 66.0%
See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.20 184th 462 60.2%
2019 49.16 319th 554 42.4%
2022 35.76 433rd 665 34.9%
2023 21.03 546th 678 19.5%
2024 22.54 560th 699 19.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.09 489th 1364 64.1%
2019 56.58 332nd 1442 77.0%
2022 38.24 838th 1540 45.6%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 40.61 752nd 1538 51.1%
2024 60.02 399th 1550 74.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.85 700th 2230 68.6%
2019 58.42 774th 2369 67.3%
2022 61.79 695th 2458 71.7%
2023 50.34 1019th 2549 60.0%
2024 53.63 929th 2575 63.9%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 69.61 607th 2262 73.2%
2019 60.89 811th 2380 65.9%
2022 64.64 720th 2509 71.3%
2023 52.71 991st 2547 61.1%
2024 52.79 985th 2546 61.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.09 563rd 1369 58.9%
2019 46.64 609th 1491 59.2%
2022 60.95 390th 1531 74.5%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 42.40 112th 193 42.0%
2023 32.19 130th 197 34.0%
2024 47.37 95th 191 50.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.55 618th 2273 72.8%
2019 67.48 656th 2407 72.7%
2022 63.70 734th 2527 71.0%
2023 61.98 773rd 2558 69.8%
2024 59.67 820th 2547 67.8%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.49 439th 2072 78.8%
2019 58.87 714th 2213 67.7%
2022 67.30 564th 2359 76.1%
2023 57.23 786th 2391 67.1%
2024 57.74 780th 2383 67.3%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Orcutt Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.67 651st 1496 56.5%
2019 53.16 737th 1602 54.0%
2022 56.47 646th 1555 58.5%
2023 56.13 645th 1552 58.4%
2024 48.13 772nd 1535 49.7%
See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Orcutt Junior High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Orcutt Junior High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 378 10 16 37 0 n/a n/a 0 441
1989 409 12 17 46 3 n/a n/a 0 487
1990 435 11 18 57 7 n/a n/a 0 528
1991 444 6 25 66 1 n/a n/a 0 542
1992 427 8 27 83 2 n/a n/a 0 547
1993 469 11 32 84 0 n/a n/a 0 596
1994 488 11 28 64 4 n/a n/a 0 595
1995 509 11 27 106 4 n/a n/a 0 657
1996 509 11 27 106 4 n/a n/a 0 657
1997 496 13 24 89 2 n/a n/a 0 624
1998 507 16 36 98 7 n/a n/a 0 664
1999 518 23 33 98 4 n/a n/a 4 680
2000 517 19 34 106 6 n/a n/a 0 682
2001 464 3 33 95 17 n/a n/a 9 621
2002 436 14 40 109 6 n/a n/a 1 606
2003 436 14 40 109 6 n/a n/a 1 606
2004 424 17 34 119 9 n/a n/a 0 603
2005 385 12 39 118 7 n/a n/a 0 561
2006 364 8 38 91 3 n/a n/a 1 505
2007 348 10 34 106 6 n/a n/a 1 505
2008 322 6 33 117 6 n/a n/a 0 484
2009 340 10 34 116 3 2 8 0 513
2010 329 6 26 123 5 2 2 0 493
2011 271 6 24 135 5 3 5 0 449
2012 284 8 18 140 2 3 11 0 466
2013 289 4 20 146 1 2 13 0 475
2014 295 7 29 158 3 4 13 0 509
2015 292 9 29 160 2 3 21 0 516
2016 278 7 18 185 6 1 25 0 520
2017 290 6 16 201 4 4 29 0 550
2018 283 4 11 218 5 3 42 0 566
2019 283 4 12 217 5 0 51 0 572
2020 223 2 13 242 2 1 42 0 525
2021 201 2 13 232 5 1 31 0 485
2022 198 3 11 236 5 0 37 1 491
2023 187 5 9 217 1 0 49 0 468
2024 173 8 10 233 2 0 54 0 480

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Orcutt Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 441 19.6 22.5 n/a
1989 487 21.0 23.1 n/a
1990 528 22.5 23.4 n/a
1991 542 25.7 21.0 n/a
1992 547 26.1 20.9 5.3
1993 596 25.4 23.5 5.7
1994 595 26.2 22.7 11.6
1995 657 28.4 23.1 14.9
1996 657 28.4 23.1 14.9
1997 624 29.8 20.9 15.5
1998 664 31.0 21.4 17
1999 680 30.4 22.4 18.5
2000 682 31.6 21.6 16.9
2001 621 30.6 20.3 22.4
2002 606 30.0 20.2 20.2
2003 606 30.0 20.2 20.2
2004 603 24.7 24.4 22.7
2005 561 25.8 21.7 19.4
2006 505 24.6 20.5 18.7
2007 505 24.9 20.3 19.4
2008 484 30.3 16.0 25.4
2009 513 25.4 17.1 25.5
2010 493 23.0 21.4 30
2011 449 n/a n/a 29
2012 466 22.3 20.8 n/a
2013 475 23.1 20.5 37.1
2014 509 22.8 22.2 30.6
2015 516 23.0 22.4 29.3
2016 520 23.0 22.6 31.9
2017 550 23.9 22.9 29.8
2018 566 24.8 22.7 31.8
2019 572 26.7 21.4 33.9
2020 525 n/a n/a 32.4
2021 485 21.3 22.7 28.5
2022 491 21.6 22.7 30.3
2023 468 22.2 20.9 33.8
2024 480 21.5 22.2 41.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Orcutt Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 441 19.6 22.5 n/a
1989 487 21.0 23.1 n/a
1990 528 22.5 23.4 n/a
1991 542 25.7 21.0 n/a
1992 547 26.1 20.9 5.3
1993 596 25.4 23.5 5.7
1994 595 26.2 22.7 11.6
1995 657 28.4 23.1 14.9
1996 657 28.4 23.1 14.9
1997 624 29.8 20.9 15.5
1998 664 31.0 21.4 17
1999 680 30.4 22.4 18.5
2000 682 31.6 21.6 16.9
2001 621 30.6 20.3 22.4
2002 606 30.0 20.2 20.2
2003 606 30.0 20.2 20.2
2004 603 24.7 24.4 22.7
2005 561 25.8 21.7 19.4
2006 505 24.6 20.5 18.7
2007 505 24.9 20.3 19.4
2008 484 30.3 16.0 25.4
2009 513 25.4 17.1 25.5
2010 493 23.0 21.4 30
2011 449 n/a n/a 29
2012 466 22.3 20.8 n/a
2013 475 23.1 20.5 37.1
2014 509 22.8 22.2 30.6
2015 516 23.0 22.4 29.3
2016 520 23.0 22.6 31.9
2017 550 23.9 22.9 29.8
2018 566 24.8 22.7 31.8
2019 572 26.7 21.4 33.9
2020 525 n/a n/a 32.4
2021 485 21.3 22.7 28.5
2022 491 21.6 22.7 30.3
2023 468 22.2 20.9 33.8
2024 480 21.5 22.2 41.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Orcutt Junior High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $7,076

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Orcutt Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 774th of 2715 Middle schoolsRanks 946th of 2802 Middle schools
 5.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orcutt Junior High)54.150.7
 3.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orcutt Union Elementary)55.848.7
 7.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.447.4
 3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Orcutt Junior High)4238.8
 3.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Orcutt Union Elementary)39.433.6
 5.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (California)37.933.2
 4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orcutt Junior High)5540.6
 14.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Orcutt Union Elementary)51.641.2
 10.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.445.7
 3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Orcutt Junior High)49.734.2
 15.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Orcutt Union Elementary)45.730.1
 15.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (California)36.629.9
 6.7%
8th Grade Science (Orcutt Junior High)35.830.2
 5.6%
   8th Grade Science (Orcutt Union Elementary)31.325.3
 6%
   8th Grade Science (California)30.828.8
 2.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students572468
 18.2%
African American45
 25%
American Indian51
 80%
Asian129
 25%
Hispanic217217
Pacific Islander00
White283187
 33.9%
Two or More Races5149
 3.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients33.9%33.8%
 0.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Orcutt Junior High

Orcutt Junior High ranks 945th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Orcutt Junior High usually go on to attend Ernest Righetti High

In the 2023-24 school year, 480 students attended Orcutt Junior High.

Students at Orcutt Junior High are 49% Hispanic, 36% White, 11% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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